what a great day!

Well my friends it has been a long time and I have some great news. Today I spent the day with three families. I know it does not sound fun but there was 33 people, 16 of which were adopted. I felt so close to my children yet so far!
I am preparing to leave soon, but first and for most, October 25th is a court date for our children. I am going to ask that you please pray Gods will on that day and that we hear good news soon after.
Also, we are in need of prayer for the upcoming travel dates that we have. I do not want to post any of it due to the fact I am not sure of the guidelines of that form of posting. I am very grateful to all of you who have been standing by us in prayer and support. We are looking forward to sharing more when we are able.
But as for the exciting day. Thank you Shane and Dianna for allowing us to be a part of such a beautiful moment!!!!! Love the girls, oh yea and Alexi too! Good luck with the play...Break a Leg!!!

Good night all
Bridget :)

We Have Our Court Date!!!!!!!!!!

Well my fellow readers. I am so pleased to say WE HAVE A COURT DATE!! And yes we also have internet back. I have waited a whole week to let you know this great information. We, Rich and myself, will be headed to our destination in mid November. I am so excited and very overjoyed with this. I can not begin to tell you how it feels but I can tell you when you give birth to a child the feeling you feel when the child is born and the pressure is gone and you just want to cry...this is the same relief but a totally different JOY!

We have been working toward this moment for ten months and I will let you know now it is worth all the ups and downs. I know God is in control of all that is to happen so I want Him to get the praise and glory, not us. He is the one who has given us the will to do this, the means to do this, and the one who has given us the encouragement to keep going. (Philippians 4)

So those of you who read our blog thank you. And for those of you who have supported us in prayer or any other way...THANK YOU!!!! Now you can see the prayers in action and please continue to read as we pursue His work til it is finished.

I will let you know more as soon as I know more. Thanks for reading!!!

Just saying

If you are looking to support a fine organization I found one. Project Hopeful is their name. I am the first person to admit when I heard about adopting orphans with HIVt I thought WHY?
Well let me tell you why. They are HUMAN, they have a LIFE and moreover they have a CHANCE!! I thought you get this cruel desease and you die. NOT! HIVt is controllable with the right medicines. The children who suffer are normal and some of the most loving kids I have met. No my children I am adopting do not have HIVt and no I am not plugging this for any other reason but I LIKE IT! The people who do the classes are very educational and the women and men who operate the organization are just down to earth.
Please look them up on the web. She makes and sells the coolest jewelry, bags and T-sirts. The profit goes to helping these little angles get a home.
I have been thinking about this all night because I feel God has blessed me with 4 healthy children and we, my family, will do something for these kids when our adoption is complete. I do have to admit this is so heavy on my heart that informing the web was the least I could do.
Thank you for reading...whoever you are.
www.projecthopeful.org

Travel Sooon

Hello all,
Yes the best news does come in short emails. "You are totally submitted..." That was as far as I got when I realized they were talking about "US". Rich and I will soon be traveling for the court hearing for our adoption. I am so overwhelmed with joy I do not know if I should breath or cry. So I do both!
Well Last November when Rich said "what will it take to begin this adoption process?" I said one phone call. I was wrong! Yes me I was wrong. It does not take a phone call, it takes an extremely GREAT agency and a hole handful of dedicated people to make it happen.
I have the best guide, GOD. The best support system, Rich, The Heims', Devenoughes' and so many more adoptive families, and the best family ever. I read about the families who have split over this subject and my heart goes out to you. I had a short time in this 10 months that I was not sure how my family felt. In the past few months they have been asking questions and supporting us so much. I am extremely grateful to all of you and we do look forward to introducing all of you to our new children.
We are doing things to generate the additional income needed for travel and the care for our bio girls while we are out of country.
Well I have FOUR children...WOW I said it. I am so excited to say WE are going to be traveling!
OK well I got that off my chest I will post again soon. Lord willing. As soon as I get a date YOU WILL KNOW!!!!!!
Thank you all for reading
Bridget

sitting in HIS timeline

Did you ever sit and hear everything around you? Like you know you are in the room but you have nothing coming out of your mouth. Not that you have nothing to say but nothing is coming out. Today was one of those days for me, I sat at a friends house and wondered if I have a place. I know God had me there for a reason and I wanted to be there but is all I could do was sit and listen. I wanted to scream from the rafters "I am a mother of FOUR!!!!" but then something kept me quiet. Then I got home me and the girls spoke about the adoption and they had nothing...no questions , no worries, and no thoughts. So we ate dinner and then laid down to watch a movie. And there was the feeling again, hush.
I think God is seeing who am I waiting on; the government for a court date or for His provision. Well I know the answer to that HIM. We are totally relying on His provision for this. We entered this adoption with nothing and we keep finding ourselves blessed beyond measure every time an invoice comes in.
Now I realize the cloud I am sitting on is not ignorance it is called His peace. I am so very happy to have all of you praying for this procedure and for the growth of our family. I am blessed with a husband who is very Godly, two bio daughters that are very strong in their faith and two more children waiting to come home and a family who is totally behind us.
The timeline HE drew is so worth sitting on, thank you LORD for your love and grace. Thank you for "being" my all in all.
So I guess He had me sit still today to learn "Lean on ME!!!!!" I can't help but to think of Proverbs and all the fools. I do not want to be seen as or be known as a fool.
Still waiting for our court date...pray for His will please.

Moving Forward

As I sit at the computer in a quiet home watching Rich do some paperwork. I sit and I think, in a few months I will have FOUR children in our home and it will not be so quiet. I am so looking forward to the days of running and confusion. I have been beyond blessed in the last 2 months. Not only was I able to help a friend but I was blessed beyond measure by each one of those children. They have all taught me a thing or two about the to do and not to do.

I was able to see first hand how my bio girls react to someone coming in and sharing their space. It was not good but I watched the adjustment time take its toll and they were all great. I saw boys in my home, I do not have any boys, and I thought it would be fine but I see were I need to MAN UP the room a little before he comes home. I can say for sure the bathroom is boy certified.

I also was able to watch the different personalities come out and how they blended into my own personality. The social workers tell you to read up on different things your children will encounter but I think having the experience I was able to have allowed me to see were I need to read up on what to do as the parent, my own feelings.

At any given time in the last two months I have had six to ten children with me. I know your thinking I am crazy but I loved it. Every child has its own idea of what is acceptable or not. I think I have learned parenting is about loving each child has they need to be loved, but disciplining them with God's book. I have found that no matter who the parents are,Christian parents, you can not go wrong when you put reason to scripture. All the children were very respectful, for most of the time. When I got my feelings hurt God grew me, when I was in the position to discipline I prayed.

Now back to being home at the computer, Rich doing paperwork. Thank God for these moments. LeAnn is on trip with a friend in Tennessee, and Laryssa had a sleepover by a friends house. The house is quiet but I am in His peace with it all. May God bring us the peace and understanding we need for this journey and thank you all for your continued prayer.

Never to much for GOD

Well as I sit and await the arrival of my Ukrainian/American friend I was told the children we are adopting know they are chosen. How cool is that, we are the parents of two beautiful girls that God has given us. Now we are the proud parents of FOUR!!! Everyday it gets more real, first it was paperwork...I was in awe with the amount of information everyone needs. Then it was the waiting on the children they would refer to us. I thought everyone of them needs a home but, God had our children planned b4 we even started this process. Now we are entering the traveling of our adoption...We wait once again for an email...COURT!!! Yes when you adopt international you go to court in the country you are adopting from. I ask for everyone to please pray that we get a date and we, Rich and I both, get there safely. No I am not at liberty to say where or who at this time but when it is official and they, the authority over me, I will spill!!!!! I am so looking forward to telling everyone. I feel as if my inner sound is on high but I have muted the volume on the outside. So if you were in my head you would have a headache!!
Well now I am cleaning up the house, nesting, LeAnn is going away for her first vacation out of state with a friend, and Laryssa and I are going to do some special things while she is gone.
Like I said in the beginning of this letter my friend is coming home so please pray for a great transition for her and her family. I know God will sort out all details but it always helps when you are praying.
I also ask for pray for our family as it grows. We have been seeking the wisdom and strength of God and may He get all the honor and glory for what is happening here. Thank you all for reading.
Bridget